Electrical connection.



W. A. CHRYST. ELECTRICAL CONNECTIDN.

APPLICATION FlLED MAY 13, 1912'.

w. w 1L W M d Le D w a P 6 5 8 4 2 2 1 IIWEILITJI' AHUI'ILE 5 WVITILEEIEIEEI To all whom, it may concern UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM AQCHBYSL'I, 0E DAYTON, OHIO, AssIGNoR r0 THE DAYTON ENGINEERING LABORATORIES OO., A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELECTRTOAL CONNECTION;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Application filed my 13, 1912. 7 Serial No. 696,992.

Be it known that I, WILL AM A. C RYs'r, acitizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connections, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.,,

This invention relates to an improvement in. electric machines and more especially to machines of this character, wherein a commutator and, cooperating brushes are employed. 1

n One of the primary objects of the present invention isto simplify the construction and manufacture of. the various elements comprising :the invention, and to provide novel sembling ofthe parts thereof will be greatly facilitated.

, A further object of the present invention resides in providing a commutator brush and holder of conductive material, which is releasably. mounted in electrical connection with the respective fields or windings of the machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide combinations of elements which will permit a swinging movement of the brush, relative to the commutator, but will prevent any lateral movement of the brush, relative thereto.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a. preferred form of embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

I In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the mechanical elements and electrical connections embodied in my present invention.

. Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary view of my invention, the same being shown in operative relation to the commutator of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the device shown in Fig. 2, parts of the construction being shown in section for the sake of clearness. Y

i Fig. 4 is a detail cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, with the terminal removed.

Figs. 5 and6 are detail elevation and -perspectivc views of the terminal and brush holder respectively.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the armature 20 has connection with the commutator bars 21, in the usual manner, and is also provided with oppositely disposed pole pieces 22. The windings about thesepole pieces are connected, by the pig tails 23, with the terminals 24 and 25,which in turn have frictional contact with the brush holder 26. The two sets of terminals, brush-holders and cooperating elements are of identical construction, and therefore, only one of these sets of elements will be described, it being understood that this description will apply equally to both sets.

The electric machine employed in the present instance may be of substantially the same type as that described, illustrated and claimed in the co-pending applications of Charles F. Kettering, filed April 17 1911, Serial No. 621,512, matured into Patent No. 1,171,055, Feb. 8, 1916, and June 15, 1911, Serial No. 633,443, matured into Patent No. 1150523 Aug. 17, 1915, and is provided with thereduced shaft 28, which extends from the commutator, so that it may be connected with any suitable driving mechanism or clutch that may be desired.

Adjacent to the commutator, there is a ball or roller bearing race 27 which surrounds the shaft 28 and provides an antifriction bearing therefor. A retaining plate 29 is secured over this ball race and is extended so that it provides-a support for the brush holders. This retaining plate, adjacent to i the points where the brush holders are connected or secured thereto, is provided with insulated washers or plates 30, which protect the ball retainer and therefore the bearing members, from the effects of the electric current.

The brush holder 26 is supported on the ball retaining plate 29, by means of a spring terminal clip, which includes a spindle 31, having a screw threaded end portion which passes through the insulated bearing in the ball retaining plate 29, so that the nut 33 or other securing means may be fastened thereon, to secure the spring terminal clip in the desired position.

The spindle or shank 31 has a stationary clamping member 35 formed thereon and intermediate the ends thereof, and a locking collar 37, of less diameter than said clamping member, and so positioned relative thereto, as to leave a space between said clampin member and t e collar 37. This space isdarge enough to rmit the notched ortion of the brush-ho der 26 to be inse between the collar 37 and the clamping member 35.

On the other end of the spindle 31, there is secured a headv rtion 39 which acts as an abutment for t e coil spring 40. This coil spring is mounted within a casin 41, which is adapted to fit over the spind e 31 and has a flanged interior end, which acts as the opposite abutment for the said spring 40. Thus, it will be seen that normally, the coil spring 40 will hold the casing 41 tightly against the reduced collar 37. v

The terminal 24 which is fastened to the pig tail connection 23, of one of the windings of the machine, is provided with an annular opening 43 which has an entrance of less diameter than the annular opening. The diameter of the entrance of said annular opening is less than the diameter of the lock ing collar 37, but is greater than the diameter of the spindle 31, while the diameter of the annular opening 43 of the terminal, is slightly greater than the diameter of the collar 37.

Thus, it will be seen that it is impossible to apply the terminal to its normal seat on the periphery or circumference of the collar 37, unless the spring pressed casing 41 is first withdrawn against the pressure of the spring 40, and the terminal 24 slipped over the normal diameter of the spindle 31. After this has been done, it will, of course, be possible by simply releasing the casing 41, to force the terminal into its normal seat on the periphery or annular surface of the collar 37, thereby forcin it into frictional contact with the brush older.

This brush holder 26 comprises an arm, having an angular head portion 52 which is provided with a slot 53, of sufiicient diameter to slide over and engage with the spin die 31.

The opposite end of thisbrush holder is flanged as at 54, and is adapted to carry a carbon brush 55 which may be secured in any desirable manner. The angled portion 54 of the brush holder also has an n wardly extending ear provided with a note as at 56, which is slightly counter-sunk on the brush side thereof, for the purpose hereinafter specifically described.

In order to maintain the brush in its proper coiiperative relation with the commutator, a spring 57, of any desired type,

which is shown'as being coiled, in the present system, is mounted upon a stud 58 which is also secured to the retaining plate 29, but insulated therefrom. This stud receives one end of the coil spring 57, the other end of said spring being provided with a thumb button 60, which is adapted to engage in the counter-sink adjacent to the notch 56 formed in the flanged portion 54 of the brnshholder. The normal tendency of this spring will be to constantly maintain the brush in close contact with the commutator and is adapted to compensate for any wear which may occur on the face of the brush or the bars of the commutator.

In the present invention, the coiiperating elements which are adapted to form an electrical contact between the brush and the windings of the machine, are so constructed and arranged that when the elements are in assembled operative position, one of these elements Wlll be provided with means,

whereby the other element will be maintained in position, and held against accidental displacement.

In Figs. 1, 3 and 5, this means is clearly shown as being applied to the terminal clips 24 and 25. From the above description, it will be seen that this terminal clip. when arranged in operative position, willbe curely locked, and by providing these clips with aprojection which will overlie the adjacent brush-holder, the said brush-holder will be maintained in its assembled position and held against accidental displacement until the terminal clip is removed.

One construction of the means for normally preventing the displacement of the brush-holder by accident is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and com rises a lug 61 which is punched out or ot erwise formed on the terminals 24 and 25, said lug being adapted to extend over the heads of the respective brush holders. It will thus be seen that with the spindle 31 as a pivot point, the brush holder, together with the brush, may be swung outwardly away from the commutator to permit of the examination of the face of the brush and also to clean the commutator or other adjacent parts.

From the above description, it will be noted that when machines of the character mentioned above, are being assembled, the brush holder together with the brush, is first applied to the spindle 31, by inserting the notched ortion thereof, over the spindle, between t e locking collar 37 and the clamping member 35.

In order to make a frictional contact with the brush holder 26, the terminal 24 which is directly secured and carried by the wire pig tail 23, which in turnmay be connected to the windings of the machine, is placed in terminal clip 24 will be frictionally held in place, which inturn forces the clip tightly against the arm of the brush holder 26.

By means of the lug 61 formed on the terminal clip, and the position thereof, relative to the brush holder 26, it will be impossible for the brush holder to work loose, unless the terminal is first removed. And this is impossible unless the cap of the spring terminal clip is first withdrawn, as has heretofore been described.

From the above, it will be seen that only a single pig tail connection is made between the carbon brush and the windings of the machine, and the connection of this pig tail with the conductive brush holder is not made by any soldered connection, but rather by a positive frictional contact.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described constitutes a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In an electric machine, in combination, a removable brush-holder; a removable terminal clip; a common supporting element for said holder and clip; and means for locking one of the removable members to said common supporting element, said member having provisions for maintaining the unlocked removable member in position.

2. In an electric machine, the combination with a commutator brush and brushholder; a common supporting element; a removable terminal clip; a removable brushholder; means for locking said terminal clip to the common supporting element, said terminal clip having provisions for maintaining the removable brush-holder in po sition when the said terminal clip is in locked position.

3. In an electric machine, the combination with machine windings, a commutator brush and holder of conductive material; means for electrically connecting the windings and the brush-holder; and resilient means for releasably maintaining said electrical connection and also releasably securing the brush-holder in its operable posit1on.

4:. In an electric machine, in combination, a support; a commutator brush and brushholder mounted thereon, said brush-holder comprising a plate having a notched projecting portion, a part thereof being countersunk; means for normally and resiliently maintaining said brush-holder in operable position, comprising a button engaging with said countersunk part and having resilient connection with said support.

5. In an electric machine, in combination, a support; an arm secured thereto, having a collar thereon; a brush-holder releasably engaging said arm; a terminal clip consisting of a plate having an opening of greater diameter than said collar and an entrance to said opening of less diameter than said collar; with provisions for preventing the accidental displacement of said brush-holder; and means for maintaining said terminal clip and brush-holder in operable position.

6. In an electric machine, in combination, a support; an arm secured thereto, having a collar thereon; a brush-holder releasably engaging said arm; a terminal clip consisting of a plate having an opening of greater diameter than said collar; and a projection extending from said terminal clip for preventing the accidental displacement of said brush-holder; and means for releasably maintaining said terminal clip in operable position relative to the brush-holder.

7 In an electric machine, in combination, a shaft, a series of bearing members surrounding said shaft; a commutator brush and brush-holder; and a plate for supporting said brush-holder and retaining said bearing members against accidental dis placement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. I

WILLIAM A. CHRYST.

Witnesses E. J. GRAEF, J. W. MCDONALD. 

